Metal alloy.



ELwooD HAYNES, OFKOKOMO, INDIANA.

IMETAL ALLOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17,1907.

- Application filed May 3' 190'7.- Serial No. 371.573.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELWooD HAYNES, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kokomo, in the county ofHoward and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a Metal Alloy;

- and I do hereby declare that the following is a .full, clear, andexact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawings, and to' the letters of reference marked thereon,which'form a part of this specification. H

This" invention relates to a novel metal alloy designed for use in themanufacture of articles requiring a high and durable. luster andenduring and permanent qualities, such as is required in metals fromwhich are made standards of weight, measures, and like uses, andpossessing a degree of hardness and elasticity adapting it to be used inthe manufacture of tools and implements requiring a moderately sharpcutting edge. Among theobjects of my invention is .to produce acommercially practical metal alloy 'aving vthe properties above setforth and which is capable of being forged, hammered or otherwise workedinto various forms of instruments and articles and whichis highlyadapted, among other uses, as a substitute for metals which have beenheretofore plated in order to provide a suitable luster and re-- sistthe oxidizing and corrosive action of the normal fumes of atmosphere andfumes of abnormal atmospheres occurring in chemical laboratories,manufacturing establishments and like places.

An alloy made in accordance with-my invention is composed of chromiumorother metal of the chromium group having properties like chromium, whenconsidered with respect to the peculiar properties of my novel alloy,combined with nickel in the pro ortions substantially as hereinafterspeci ed. The metals included in the chromium group to which referencehas been made embraces, in addition to chromium, tungsten, molybdenumand uranium. While I may employ other metals'of the chromium group thanchromium, my experiments up to the present 50 time have led me to preferthe latter metal as possessing the most desirable qualities of aconstituent of my alloy for the purposes and uses intended, though itmay be found for different uses othermetals of the chromium group may beused as a constituent of the alloy. I

'I'have discovered that. an alloy may be producedby fusing togetherchromium and mckel, in the proportions substantially as hereinafterspecified, having such roperties as will enable it \to receive a biglustrous polish and which is capable of resistingoxidation and allform-of corrosive fumes com-. 'monly occurring in the atmosphere, and

showing no tendency to tarnish when exposed to the atmosphere of .achemical laboratory for a long period of time, and even retaining itsbrilliantly polished surface when subjecting'it to boiling nitric acid.I have also discovered, as an additional property of this alloy, that itis sufficiently hard and elastic to enable it to be used in themanufacture .of tools and implements which require a moderately sharpedge and is alsoadaptable for various instruments used by surgeons,dentists and for many other'uses Where untarnishability is a requisite.I have found that the alloy may be best Worked cold. My alloy is alsocapable of substitution for many of the rare and expensive metals ofwhat is known as the polyxene group in the manufacture of standards ofweight and measure and other articles and instruments for scientificuses demanding great durability and untarnishability.

In order that the alloy shall most advan tageously possess the qualitiesabove enumerated, it is necessary that the constituent metals besubstantially pure and especially that they shall be free from carbon,sulfur and like substances which-seriously interfere with thenon-tarnishing properties of the alloy.- An alloy of chromium and nickelwhich I have found to possess the aforesaid properties in varyingdegreescontains from thirty to sixty per cent. of chromium, togetherwith a corresponding variation of the nickel. .The addition of chromiumabove the lower percentage mentioned adds to the hardness of the alloyand also increases its resistance'to tarnishability. I have foundChromium containing a substantial percentage of carbon may be'fusedunder lower temperatures, but the presence of the carbon is highlyobjectionable inasmuch as it does notthat pure carbonless chromium isvery diffinot objectionably affect the nature 'of the.

binary alloy for the purposes stated.

I have produced the alloy of chromium and nickel by three differentmethods or processes-'1 One method or process consists in placing thepure metals, chromium and nic el, in a magnesia crucible, which crucibleis placed in a furnace lined'with magnesia and the crucible heated by anoxyhydrogen flame. The metals may be fused in acruci ble o f similarcharacter and constructionlhea'ted i'by an electric arc. The thirdmethod of the metals to alloy the same consists mixing the oxid ofchromium with the reggiired proportion of oxid of nickel and thereaftermixing these two oxids intimately with metallic aluminium preferably inthe form of fiowder. Thereafter this mixture is introuced into acrucible lined with magnesia or alumina, and the mixture is eitherheated until decomposition takes place or is ignited 1 cold and themetals are reduced to the me-.

tallic state and at the same time fused to a regulus by the extremelyhigh temperature thus produced,

I claim as my invention 1. A metal alloy composed of nickel and morethan thirty per cent. of a metal of the chromium group.

2. A metal alloy composed-of nickel and more than thirty per cent. ofchromium.-

3. A metal alloy composed of pure-chromium. and pure nickel in theproportions of more than thirty percent. and less than ELWOOD HAYNES.

Witnesses A. E. STARBUCK,

WALTER J ONES.

